The Trials of A Princess
by Michelle-Ann85
Summary: Princess Alexandria is the Hero Albion has been craving since the death of her father, but upon taking the throne she discovers a dark secret that will bring about the end of the world. It is said only see can stop it, but Alexandria knows otherwise.
1. Prologue

_Okay, this is my first attempt at an in-game fic, but the Fable III story line is pretty impressively rich and the story spun itself. I've altered little bits from the game to the story just so I can add in bits to give the story more depth. The story will be presented in 'Parts' which are contained stories but build up a bigger picture when all the 'Parts' are complete._

**The Trails of a Princess – Prologue**

She was small, and wasn't particularly fast. As a result, she hated kiss chase games. Alexandria was always caught when the boys were 'It' and she was certain that the only reason for that was so they could go down into the town and boast they had kissed a Princess.

It hadn't escaped her attention that Percy was joining in too. She didn't like the boy, he was bully and he always played rough, which was why she wasn't playing with the rest of the children. Also there was Elliot. She liked him, he was sweet but he always made her feel so shy.

Alexandria sat on the low wall, watching as Victoria planted a kiss on Percy's lips. The boy squirmed and batted her off with a loud, 'that's disgusting.' He pushed the small girl off him, igniting just a little bit more dislike in Alexandria's heart for him. Then Percy started to spin around, predator like.

The Princess didn't like the look in his eye as he saw her. She stood up and looked up to the castle. If she could make it, well, Percy would not dare run after the Princess in her own home. But it was such a long way to run and she was small and not particularly fast.

Instead she decided on another tactic. She crossed her arms and stared down at the boy using the look she had learnt from her mother, the Queen. 'I'm not playing, Percy,' she told him darkly. 'I'm not.' She backed away from him, and quickly turned to look at the door to her home.

If she wasn't convinced before that she couldn't make then she certainly wouldn't now. Percy was mere feet away.

'Leave her alone, Perce.'

Alexandria's head snapped around and she set eyes on Elliot, who was moving towards Percy.

'She's not playing, why don't you get your own back on Maggie, or even give Emme a peck. I know she's sweet on you,' Elliot continued, but there was no diverting Percy.

He pounced, pushing the Princess to the ground.

'Get off me,' she screamed, wriggling to bat him away. But it was no good, being little also meant she wasn't very strong and her little hands did little to prevent the bully from his assault. Then, rather suddenly, the boy was off her.

'You have insulted this maiden's honour!' shouted Elliot, pulling the boy away from the petit Princess.

Percy, ever the bully, spun around and caught the young boy's face with his fist.

High in the castle, unseen by the children in the garden, the Hero King watched the children play. A small smile adorned his face as one of the lads stepped in to protect his daughter. The smile widened as the young girl then clumsily tended to the bloodied lip her saviour won for his efforts. Alexandria was a sweet girl; she had such a quiet, graceful nature about her.

His little girl reminded him of his sister, so untimely taken in this very castle, before their parents had died and they were forced to make a life for themselves on the streets of the city sprawling out before him. She was a kind soul who was turned hard by the streets and poverty.

Often he watched his children, wondering on the destiny they had been handed. One would lead Albion to be even greater and saving the lands beyond the sea. He couldn't see how. Neither the twelve year old Alexandria nor the seventeen year old Logan appeared to have the talents required of a young Hero. He supposed there might still be time for Alexandria but he was starting to doubt he would live to see it.

He had to prepare for her, just in case.


	2. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 1

_Okay, just been polishing this bit, which is our Princess returning to Bowerstone after a long period away. Again, slight alternations have been made in terms of any names, situations, etc…. This 'part' of the story is called 'For the Love of a Princess' which comes from the 'Braveheart' soundtrack. It's an amazing piece of music and works well as the title for this part._

**I: For the Love of a Princess: The Call of the City.**

The city stank. Two years of living in the mountains, gaining support for her coup, Alexandria had become accustom to the harsh, fresh air of the mountains. 'Was it always like this?' she asked, looking at Walter with her nose wrinkled against the smell.

'No,' he replied, looking around, 'even when we left two years ago it wasn't this bad.'

Sewage had split out of the street and Alexandria looked on in horror as Hiro bounded around in it and chased his tail. The beggars were sitting in it though lack of being able to sit anywhere else, and to Alexandria's horror there were even children wading through it. Anger coursed through her. 'How could anyone let the city get like this?' she exclaimed. But she already knew the answer. With access from the monorail, the city and mountains were hours not weeks apart and news was always up to date. Reaver Industries. She was about to ask why the King had not done anything about the industrial magnate, but she knew the answer. He didn't care. The King did not care that his people lived like this.

With a heavy sigh, she walked over to a man sitting in the street. 'Is there anywhere you can go, somewhere with a warm bed and a bite to eat?' she asked, squatting down beside him.

The haggard man looked up at her. He couldn't have been a day old than her, but his skin was like leather from street living. 'Ole Linda used to 'ave the Shelter up and running, but that Ferret nabbed 'er bloke to make 'er close down,' he told her. 'She won't take no one no more. Won't be no place for 'em kids now either.'

She smiled sadly but put some coins in his palm. 'Here, find yourself somewhere warm tonight.'

'And what about tomorrow? Or the day after that?'

Alexandria shrugged. 'Maybe something will come up,' she gave him a smile, before standing up and turning to Walter. 'Someone needs to help these people.'

'Someone tries to and that's who we're going to meet now,' said Walter turning towards the city, 'young woman by the name of Page, heads up the Resistance. Met her when we were still up at the Castle. Firey lass, but her heart is in the right place,' Walter spun around and sized up Alexandria. 'She's not going to be impressed with you, it's going to take work to get her on side, hard work, more work than it took to get Sabine on side.'

Alexandria smiled, she liked a challenge. 'Well, let's get to it, Walter, and perhaps she can give me some information on this Ferret. If she's not too busy being unimpressed by me.' She whistled loudly and a moment later her Collie bounded up and shook himself coating both Alexandria and Walter in foul smelling water.

She had coughed and hacked when they had first entered the sewer. Alexandria had thought that above ground was bad, but down here, well, the less said about that the better. Walter had been right about Page, she was utterly unimpressed by Alexandria.

'I need some information, before I go about proving myself,' said Alexandria at the retreating back of Page. 'The homeless shelter, I heard that it is going to close because of someone called Ferret. Where can I find him?'

'Nigel Ferret?' Page spun around looking at Alexandria, 'Why should you care about that shelter? I know what you did, on the day of the protest, so what does it matter? You showed then that you didn't care for the people then.'

Alexandria blinked before running a hand though her hair as faces and voices swam before her eyes and taunted her ears. 'The protest?' All of a sudden she felt dizzy, her head hurt. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered, 'I couldn't, the choice, I didn't, I, I don't…' she trailed off and looked at Walter. They never spoke of that day.

'Page,' the older man cautioned.

'No, let's have it Princess, you chose for those people to die.'

'This isn't the time, Page,' Walter muttered, guilt spreading on his features. He often thought he should have stepped in and stopped Logan but as both Alexandria and Jasper had pointed out, if he had, he would have been dead. There was no right decision for any of them on that day.

'It's okay,' said Alexandria, quietly, sadly as she came to her decision. She looked at Page, contemplating the woman before her. She was the voice behind the people, the person who wasn't afraid to stand up and say what needed to be said. She took a deep breath and looked off into the distance, summoning the strength. 'There was no decision I could have made that day that I could be proud of, and if I had made no decision, then well, they would have died anyway.' She looked over at Page. 'He asked me to choose. To make an impossible decision that would have seen another innocent life taken. I made a selfish choice that day, I couldn't, I just couldn't let Elliot die,' she broke off and turned away.

The sickened feeling Alexandria had felt that day rose in her stomach and threatened to overwhelm her. But she mastered her feelings. Alexandria was getting good at presenting the world with a mask. 'So, you tell me, Page,' she asked, turning back to face that she needed to get onside to win this hidden war, 'what choice would you have made? Which innocent lives would you have led to the block? The man you loved? Protesters fighting the right cause? All of them?'

A heavy silence fell in the room, only the trickle of water could be heard as Alexandria stared down Page. 'Perhaps I should count to five? That's what Logan did when I begged him to see reason, when I told him the protesters had every right to voice their complaints.'

It pleased the Princess to see that the colour had drained from Page's face as the horror of the choice put before her became clear. 'So, please, let me help, tell me where I can find this Ferret and start making a difference.'

'Linda at the orphanage should be able to point you in the right direction,' said Page when she finally found her voice.

Alexandria nodded her head, and scooped up her hat.

'Walter, I could do with a drink before I go to see what I can do. I can't do anything in this frame of mind.'

Sir Walter Beck remembered the when the woman before him was a smiling girl, when her eyes were bright with love and when she had been struggling to master her sword. He remembered when she would pick flowers in the Castle gardens for her room and when she would count the petals on the single roses that Elliot would give her.

Logan killed all that in one fell swoop. The night he took the girl from the castle she grew into the woman before him nursing a tankard of ale. She was much changed. Her hair longer, flowing around her shoulders and her attire was more becoming of a Highway Man than a Princess, but she carried it well.

She was lost in her own thoughts, staring off into the candle light. He could see the flickering flame bouncing off the unshed tears in her eyes. Alexandria never spoke of that day, but Walter knew that she thought of it often and that she thought of her lost love nearly every day.

'You handled that well,' he said as quietly as his booming voice would allow. His voice snapped her out of her melancholy and her eyes flashed up from the flame to meet his. 'Never let anyone tell you that you were wrong that day, there was no right decision nor was there one that you could have lived with.'

Alexandria took a deep breath and then sighed. 'I know, I know,' she looked off again for a moment then back at Walter. 'It might have been easier if he had been able to come with us. I saved his life and then we were gone.'

'And you think he would have survived that damn freezing camp you've been holed up in for the best part of the last two years?' asked Walter harshly.

She knew the answer to that. 'Brightwall was nice, he'd have fitted in there,' she said, a wistful, regretful tone lacing her voice.

Walter knew that she had liked Brightwall, having brought a home and one of the stalls there. She had been regretful when the bulk of her work was done there. However, he had promised her that she would be returning. It didn't do to gain supports and then leave them blowing in the wind once new leads arrived. She would be back in the pretty village before she knew it.

Again, Alexandria heaved a heavy sigh before standing up and then draining her tankard. 'I'd better go and see to this fella,' she told him, pulling on her gloves and picking up her hat. 'You'll wait here for me?'

The old man nodded and watched as she exited the pub to be greeted by her most faithful of companions. Hiro jumped up at her in greeting before fall into step behind her as she crossed the bridge.


	3. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 2

**I: For the Love of a Princess. II: A Sharp Shot.**

The Bowerstone Orphanage and Shelter was a dark, dank building like most of the other buildings in Bowerstone Industrial. The whole area just stank of despair. This was a dark tunnel and there was no light at the end. Logan and Reaver had extinguished it and left a void in its place. The sewage invested streets were lined with beggars and the shadowy corners were darkened by criminals looking for an easy catch.

It would be a challenge to clean this place up.

As Alexandria approached the building she saw a harassed woman shooing away those who needed her care.

'We're closing, so I ain't got no space for you,' she said harshly, but Alexandria could hear the pain in her voice.

'But there ain't no place else to go, not unless I want to be kicked in by Logan's thugs,' protested one.

'Come on, Linda, let us in,' begged another.

Alexandria cleared her throat loudly, and Linda turned on her. 'I hope you ain't looking for somewhere to stay and all, though, you look like you could afford a fancy room at the Crown in the market place.'

The Princess looked down at her outfit; although mud spattered it was in remarkably good condition due to Jasper's careful ministrations on all her belongings. 'No, I came to help. Someone by the name of Ferret is causing making you close the place.'

Linda looked her up and down, sizing Alexandria up. 'And what do you think you can do with Ferret's thugs? They're twice the size of you.'

As she was about to open her mouth another voice spoke out. Not the voice of one of the beggars, a malicious tone that Alexandria had become accustom to.

'Are you lost milady? I can direct you to the nearest kitchen.'

'That bloody thing,' yelled Linda as Alexandria pulled out her pistol and fired it, hitting the insulting ornament.

'They might be twice my size, but I'm a crack shot,' said Alexandria, sliding her gun back into its holster. She watched as Linda sized her up again. 'Come on, beats selling up and losing this place.'

'You'll have to rescue my fiancé as well,' said Linda, crossing her arms over her chest. 'His bloody fault though weren't it, whacked Ferret over the head with a frying pan when they were tryin' to kidnap me. He's no good in a fight, took him instead.'

Alexandria laughed softly. 'Well, I'm pretty good at those as well.'

'Well, can't go like this, we'll need some money so they'll let us in, and well, I ain't going in there with naught but my fists for protection,' said Linda, 'I'm Linda, by the way.'

'Allie,' replied the Princess, using the nickname her father had given her. She was always his 'Little Allie', a name that was eventually picked up by Elliot and eventually adopted in an attempt to keep her true identity a secret.

'Well, Allie, you wait here then we'll take a walk down to the dockyards,' explained Linda, before turning on her heel and marching back into the Shelter.

Alexandria looked at the three homeless people. 'What about those people?' she called after Linda.

Linda turned at the doorway and looked at the two men and woman who were looking at her hopefully.

'I'm fairly confident you'll still have a shelter to run at the end of the night, as well as your fiancé back,' Alexandria assured her as the homeless people walked passed her giving her smile for her efforts.

As she was left in the darkness, she leant against the low, crumbling wall that ran around the building. She pulled her gun out of its holster and checked to see how many bullets were loaded. She hadn't yet ran into battle guns blazing to find herself running on empty and she wasn't about to start now. She loaded two more shells into the weapon and replaced it before pulling her rifle over her shoulder and repeated the procedure.

The door ahead of her opened and Linda reappeared holding a small pistol and a sizable bag of money. 'This better work,' she remarked as she reached Alexandria. 'This is all I got and if you aren't up to much then it's never gonna be enough.' She gave Alexandria another doubtful look over before she walked away.

'Why did Ferret try to kidnap you?' asked Alexandria as she pulled her hat down a little to cover her eyes.

'Reaver wants the land, another one of his child labour enterprises,' Linda spat on the ground. 'Reaver and Ferret seem to go hand in hand. Many a good person has been sent running from here since the King gave Reaver run of the whole area.'

Alexandria nodded her head. 'It's good you're standing up to him,' she said, looking around, 'these people need somewhere safe to go.'

Linda's mouth became a firm line. 'There aren't many who think like that. It's become a dog eat dog world down here. People don't look out for each other like they once did, terrified to the shadows they are.' She then turned to look at the Princess. 'Where you from anywhere, with your smooth aiming and fancy clothes?'

'Brightwall,' Alexandra replied but she could see that her uneasy companion wasn't fooled.

'Really?' she questioned with an arched eyebrow. 'You have a posh city accent, not unlike my fiancé. Used to practically live up in the castle until a few years back.'

The Princess blinked. 'Live up in the castle?' she questioned slowly.

'Doesn't talk about it often,' replied Linda, still leading the way. 'Left a couple of years back, you know, when the Princess left. A lot of people left after that, what Logan forced that girl to do,' she was shaking her head, 'doesn't bare thinking about.'

'No,' replied Alexandria, wishing that she didn't have to think about it. She wondered what the story of that day sounded like to people of Bowerstone. Did they, like Page see a person who didn't care for the small person or did they take the seemingly sympathetic view that Linda appeared to have.

'Anyway, this is the place.' Before the two women was a nondescript door in the back alleys just off the main dock. Linda handed the bag of money. 'You're playing the bagman, well, woman,' she told Alexandria before stepping forward and pounding on the door.

A peephole flew open and a beady eye appeared. 'Linda,' boomed the voice, 'you just lost me ten gold, I bet Jimmy it'd be a full week before you coughed up. How very _enterprising_ of you,' he sneered before banging the peephole shut and pulling the door open.

In the doorway stood a large, imposing man who, as Linda described was double the size of the Hero.

'Shut it Ernie,' replied Linda, pushing passed the hulking mass.

That is when the hulking mass noticed Alexandria. 'And who is this?' he demanded blocking her way.

'This,' said Linda, taking on a tone that brooked absolutely no argument, 'is what you would call in the trade the bagman and she doesn't part with a penny until my fiancé is back here safely.'

Ernie the Hulk bowed mockingly at the two women. 'You will find Mr Ferret in the cellar below,' he told them with a nasty sneer as he pointed the hatch down the cellar.

It made Alexandria feel uneasy, and it felt like a trap. It wasn't a trap she couldn't get out of, but right now she held two innocent lives in her hand and one wrong move. It didn't bare thinking about. Linda went ahead of her, walking confidently passed the leering crooks and opened the door.

Alexandria managed to get a look over Linda's shoulder down into the basement. To her eternal surprise it was lit but it didn't lessen the feeling in the pit of her stomach that this was trap.

Despite the odds, the shootout was over relatively quickly. Linda had ducked for cover as Alexandria had taken advantage of the small space and she managed to dispatch the crooks with relative ease and an inhuman speed.

Linda was shaken by the ordeal and after watching her almost merciless dispatch of the mercenaries an understanding was visible in her eyes. 'You're that Hero from Brightwall, ain't you?'

Alexandria nodded her head. 'Yeah,' she said as she helped the shaken woman to her feet. 'You alright?'

The other woman nodded her head. 'Yeah.' Once again she was sizing up the woman. 'Though you'd be bigger, you know, a few extra muscles.'

The Hero laughed. 'No, nothing like that, it's part of my element of surprise, that and I'm still small enough to move faster than most of the behemoths who cause problems.' The two women looked at the dispatched men, all of them had the same characteristic – they were at least double the size of Alexandria.

Linda looked at the door and hammered on it. 'Ferret all your men are dead.'

'The door's open.'

Alexandria followed as Linda pulled open the door and pulled out a gun. Ferret was sat on a chair looking defeated.

'I really did mischaracterise you,' he admitted looking defeated and at the gun in Linda's hand.

Linda looked at the gun. 'Well, I live in a rough neighbourhood, no thanks to you. Now come on cough him up.'

Ferret seemed to squirm in his chair. 'Well, he's the thing, he's no longer on the premises, the access hatch to your left will give you, well, access.'

Alexandria stepped over to the gap in an iron wrought fence and looked down. 'The sewers?' she grimaced.

'You're a sophisticated lot,' remarked Linda. Then she looked at Alexandria. 'I'll keep an eye on this scum.'

Deciding that the day couldn't get any worse, Alexandria held on to her hat with one hand and pinched her nose with the other. Taking a run, she jumped in the festering mess below trying not to think about how much Jasper was going to kill her for getting her clothes into such a mess.


	4. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 3

_So, I'm putting this up early simply because I have managed to write rather a lot of this over the weekend. I tend to be about two to three chapters ahead before I post (so yes, there is more, rather a lot more actually). Anyway, here is the next chapter in 'For the Love of a Princess', the name of this chapter actually comes from an episode of 'Angel', not the name of the episode but a quote from the episode 'I Will Remember You'._

**I: For the Love of a Princess. III: Sewer Talk.**

The first thing Elliot had heard all day was the sound of a gun being fired in quick succession. He wasn't sure if that worried him or not. The thought crossed his mind that Linda might have hired her own bit of muscle to dispatch Ferret. Life would certainly be simpler if scum like him were off the street.

When the sound of ricocheting bullets stopped it was a few minutes before he heard anything. He wasn't sure what surprised him the most – hearing Linda or the second voice he heard. He knew it wasn't beyond Linda to fight fire with fire but he imagined some large ex-soldier not a woman with a light, posh, if slightly disgusted and resigned tone of voice.

However, it wasn't long before someone dropped like a pin into the water. Thankfully it was far enough away that he wasn't hit by the rancid water. For a moment a hat just bobbed on the surface before a gloved have emerged from the water and grabbed it. Then a head emerged followed by coughing and spluttering.

A moment later their eyes met and Elliot scrambled to his feet. 'Alexandria?'

It wasn't the moment to get shy, but hearing her name and his voice. 'Elliot?' she breathed back trying not to let her heart break.

Alexandria reached the water's edge and rather ungracefully pulled herself out of the water. They stood a few feet apart, both taking in the other's appearance. But it was not her that found her voice first.

'What are you doing here?' he asked, his voice amused and confused and several other emotions that she felt warring in her head and heart. 'Just when I've gotten over you…'

'I, er,' she started, but ended up biting down on her lip. How on earth would she be able to explain all that had happened? Not to mention the feeling now crushing her heart into a million pieces as she registered what he had just said to her. 'Well, I,' she tried again but it was no use the words wouldn't come and thankfully she found herself distracted by the sound of distant inhuman chuckles. 'Come on, we have to get out of here.'

'No.'

Alexandria frowned at him. 'You want to stay in the sewers?'

Elliot shook his head. 'No,' he replied stubbornly, 'but I don't want you to save me again, like you did that day.'

'This isn't like that day, Elliot,' she replied, anger flaring. She had had enough of people telling her she was wrong, but to be told by the person she had saved that she was wrong. She had a few choice words on the edge of her lips but decided to master herself. 'No one is going to die this time,' she assured him gently. 'Come on,' she continued walking up the dirty pathway. 'I've had enough of the sewers to last me a life time.'

She led the way in silence not daring to look back. It was all over, the person she had dreamed about being with again had 'gotten over her' and moved on. Perhaps she deserved it. She hadn't put up much of a fight with Walter over the issue of leaving Elliot behind. Besides, she was sure he was happy. Her heart spoke in her head, 'but he'd be happier with me' and an internal war ignited as her heart and head battled for dominance over whether or not to try to win him back.

So lost she was in her own internal battle that she almost missed the swooping bats. 'Elliot, hold on,' she grabbed his hand as she charged a fire ball from her gauntlet and released it, surrounding them both in fire as the bats fried in the flames leaving behind the awful stench of burnt flesh. For that same reason, she avoided using her Will powers when she could.

Then there was only the sound of trickling water and heavy breathing. Alexandria looked over at Elliot. 'Are you okay?' she asked but could help noticing that he was looking at her with something like awe.

'That was amazing,' he said hushed, 'just like something out of,' he paused as realisation hit him, 'like something out of Walter's stories about your father.' Elliot stepped closer and cupped her cheek causing her internal war to stop and her head and heart come to the same conclusion. 'You're a Hero,' he whispered.

Alexandria swallowed. 'It's not all it's cracked up to be,' she replied, and it wasn't. It was terrifying. She had seen things that she had been certain were just stories made up by her father in a bid to stop her from wondering off. Not to mention wading through sewers and sleeping in ditches. All of a sudden, stood there in the sewers with Elliot's hand on her cheek she wanted to cry. 'Come on, we have to keep moving.' She stepped away from his touch and turned away, but took his hand in hers.

'You know, it all makes sense now, you leaving like that,' said Elliot as they moved though the tunnels. 'I was insanely worried about you, you were just gone.'

'I had to lie low,' she replied, 'I've been living in the mountains, trying to gain support.'

Elliot glanced at her. 'Support? For what?'

'A rebellion.' Their eyes met. 'That's what I've been doing, I've been trying to get support so I can stop Logan, perhaps even take his place on the throne.' She smiled softly. 'It's hard, he's done so much damage that when the people find out who I am, well, they look at me with the same mistrust.' The smile on her face became sad. 'And I don't blame them.'

Elliot squeezed her hand then brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. 'You a thousand times the person your brother is, you always were,' he told her.

'I wanted you to come,' she said softly as they continued her walk, 'but Walter, he said it wasn't possible, also, I can't imagine you wading around swaps finding the support I need.'

'I'd do anything for you,' he whispered, 'if you can get your hands dirty, well I most certainly can.'

As Alexandria opened her mouth, to remind Elliot that he had Linda now, something caught her eye on the edge of her vision. It was a flash of light that was not natural. She let go of his hand. 'Stay here,' she whispered and crept off into the darkness.

She reached a rock formation ahead and crouched down behind it. She glanced back and looked at Elliot who was watching her intently. Then she looked over the rocks and spotted a small gathering of Hobbes. She hated Hobbes, they smelt funny. She pulled her rifle out of its holster on her back and as quietly as she could, flipped the safety off and she took aim.

Previous experience had already taught her that the one wielding the staff was the best one to dispose of first. The sneaky little buggers could conjure hordes of minions made of bone which were difficult to kill with everything bar a hammer and she didn't have the strength to wield a hammer effectively. Praying her aim was true and that she would strike the Hobbe in the head, she squeezed the trigger.

The bang echoed deafeningly in the empty sewer tunnels and within seconds another group of Hobbes were rushing down to join the first. Her hiding place was in no way useful now the game had been given away so she jumped up and took aim for the second conjuring Hobbe that was now manoeuvring down the passage way.

Elliot watched with almost sickening fascination as the true love of his life dispatched a Hobbe with almost merciless efficiency. Though he didn't mind her bringing about the end of the creatures blocking their way he felt a pang of sadness as it became utterly clear that the woman he knew had changed and yet, when she spoke and the look in her eyes, it felt like he had only seen her the day before.

Even though she was fighting, now wielding a glowing sword, she moved more gracefully than dancer. Walter had always said she had it in her to fight like a Hero and now he wondered if the old soldier had always known more about Alexandria destiny than he had ever let on. Perhaps her father had passed on some information to him before his death eight years previously.

It was a burst of firelight that ended the fight and Elliot realised he had be staring. Now finished, the Princess sheathed her sword and turned to face him but she wasn't _looking_ at him. Alexandria looked shy and slightly unsure of herself. Elliot hadn't seen her look that way for years. Not since before he had told her that he was in love in with her.

'Come on,' she called down to him, 'there might be more. Best to get out before they find us.'

She turned away from him and started following the upward curve of the trodden path that they had been following. Elliot ran to catch up with her. 'You know, that was pretty impressive, I remember when you struggled to even get a bit of power behind a blow,' he told her.

Alexandria laughed. 'I didn't like the idea of hitting Walter,' she said, glancing behind her.

He noted her smile and realised he was crazy to ever think he would 'get over her'. Hero or not, Princess or not, Alexandria was still a pretty impressive woman.

'We should be nearly back to Linda now,' Alexandria remarked, struggling to keep her voice even.

'Bloody hell, Linda,' muttered Elliot. 'Look, I have something to tell you.'

Alexandria spun around to look at him and she hoped to every deity that followed the light that her expression wasn't giving anything away.

'Linda has to be one of the most extraordinary women I have ever known,' he started, 'but you, oh you are amazing, you always have been and I love you both,' she watched as he sighed and looked at his boots, 'you were gone without word or warning and I realise now that you had to go but it doesn't make it easier to bear. I missed you but then I met Linda and I thought you were never coming back.'

She listened to his words chewing on her gloved thumb, lost in the miasma of her own thoughts of love and loss.

'Here I am, pouring my heart out to you and you're just standing there, no consoling hug and telling me to do the right thing or are you going to kiss me and tell me that you want me back?' he asked.

Alexandria chewed her thumb for a moment longer. 'You're right, I was gone without word or warning but I thought you'd just…' she trailed off. She was starting to hate herself for struggling to connect words together to make the right sentences. She took a deep breath. 'My head and heart tell me to do the right thing by myself and as we are being confessional, there is something I must tell you.'

She paused for a moment to get her head straight and to make sure the words came out right. 'This life I lead, it's dangerous not just for me but for the people that that are associated to me. Logan will come for us, it might not be today but when the people start talking here, well, I don't think I'll be able to keep up this veil of secrecy for long. I want nothing more than to kiss you and tell you to come back to me, but for the while, it will be a life of loneliness. I'm often gone for days, weeks at time fighting creatures that are the stuff of nightmares. Creatures I swore my father made up to keep me in bed at night. Hell, one day I might not even come home. If you can live with that…' She smiled softly. 'My heart was always yours.'

In less than a heartbeat, Alexandria was where she knew she belonged, back in Elliot's arms. They kissed, every feeling they had even had for each other exploded on their lips. The missed years ached in Alexandria's heart, but for the first time she felt as though she could be healed from the silent heartbreak that had been turning her heart to stone.

The kiss came to its natural conclusion, but the couple didn't let each other go.


	5. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 4

I: For the Love of a Princess. IV: All's Fair in Love

Concentration was the key. To visualise the space she wanted to move to. Alexandria closed her eyes for the third time and tried to bring forth the image of the Sanctuary. She pictured the magical map in the centre of the room and the doors to the other rooms. Next she placed the Cullis Gate and dog basket into room before willing herself to be there.

A swish around her indicated that she had managed her teleport.

'Ah, hello,' Jasper greeted her.

Alexandria smiled at the old man. 'Evening, I trust you are well,' she enquired. She worried deeply for the man who had taken it upon himself to be the custodian of her Sanctuary. He was getting on in years and it bothered her that he was isolated in this place.

'Very,' he replied. 'A late visit, Alexandria, is there anything I can help you with? A new outfit perhaps?'

Although he didn't say it, she could see what the old man was saying in his mind. It involved something to do with wearing clothes to match her position. On this occasion she agreed, she was a Hero, not a street urchin. 'Yes, but could this one be laundered? I'm growing rather fond of it.'

Jasper raised a bushy eyebrow at her. 'In my experience, when one is attached to one's clothes it is not customary to abuse them, by, er, what exactly have you been up to?'

'Mourningwood and the sewers in Bowerstone,' she informed Jasper as she headed to the wardrobe. Inside, were all the clothes she had brought on her travels and its usual pride of place sat her court gown. The dress she had been wearing when they had made their escape from the castle.

She walked over to it and looked it over before reaching out to touch it.

'Alexandria, if I might be so bold. I have just cleaned it; I'd rather you didn't get Bowerstone sewer on it.'

The Princess laughed before pulling her gloves off and chucking them aside. 'Could you pack it up? I want to take it back to Brightwall with me.'

Jasper looked horrified. 'Er, why? It is perfectly safe here.' The old man was very protective of her belongings and the dress in particular. To both of them it was a reminder of what she had to achieve.

'And when I am done, you'll have it back in pristine order,' she told him. Alexandria stepped away from the dress before selecting a tunic and trousers that wouldn't look out of place among the citizens of Bowerstone. 'I have a job for you,' she told him as she headed behind the dressing screen.

'I want you to go to Brightwall. I need your eye for interior design.'

'Redecorating?' enquired Jasper, 'And the most formal dress you own. One could come to the conclusion that you've decided to get married. Traipsing around the sewers isn't all you've been up to in Bowerstone tonight is it?'

'Nope,' she admitted with a sly grin, 'evidence would also point to traipsing through the Mourningwood swamps.' It was certainly true; the evidence was in the form of bites all over her skin. 'Er, Jasper, some hot water would be nice.'

'Yes, of course madam,' replied Jasper, scurrying from the room.

Left in the giant room, Alexandria pulled a robe over her near naked body and walked over to the drawer where she had put the jewellery she had been wearing the night she left the castle. There was a simple chain which held her parents wedding rings, the bracelet that Elliot had given her three years ago and another necklace that had been given to her by her brother just after he had become King. When he had been a good man not the insane shadow she had seen the last time she set eyes on him.

Alexandria lifted the necklace up, the diamond pendant sparkling in the dim light of the room. She looked at it, remembering her brother as he once was and trying to work out why madness had taken him. Perhaps it was his way of showing Albion that you didn't need to be a Hero to be strong.

She put the necklace down as she heard scrapping as Jasper pulled a brass tub into the room.

'Here,' she said closing the drawer and running over to the aging man, 'let me help you.' Although she retained her petit size there was an unprecedented amount of strength in her body. She had grown used to the feeling of immense power she carried around with her.

She managed to lift the tub of the floor and manoeuvred it behind a screen before heading out the room to help Jasper with the water.

Elliot ran his hands though his head in utter desperation wondering how on Earth he would tell Linda that he was leaving. He had never really told Linda about his past, just vague bits of information and now he had to lay it all bare.

It was just…where to start.

He hadn't told Linda that there was someone else. How did you explain to anyone that your previous lover had been the Princess and that she had been forced to make a terrible decision, the outcome of which could have led to his own death.

That and it was still one of the most talked about events in Bowerstone. When fresh gossip ebbed, the people of the city would dreg up the past.

Just as he was trying to construct the best way to approach the situation, Linda walked into the room. Despite finding her unconscious, she appeared to be fine having taken the hit to the back as oppose to the head. She had brought him dinner and all his well-constructed sentences passed from knowledge.

'Are you sure there is nothing wrong?' Linda asked as she set down the plate of stew and bread. 'You've been awfully quiet since you got back.'

Elliot swallowed and looked up at Linda. 'There is something, yes,' he admitted. He stood up because he couldn't stand sitting down any longer and stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'Linda, I want you to know that I care about you a great deal and that if it were not for you, well, I don't know,' he drew a deep breath, 'you gave me hope when I thought there wasn't any.'

Linda eyed him with a puzzled expression, her hands on her hips. 'But?' she enquired.

'But the thing is, there was someone before you and I thought she was gone, but now, well, she's come back and I…' he broke off, turning away from Linda. 'She was always the most amazing woman I have ever known, not that you aren't pretty amazing, but Allie was always something else.'

'Allie?' repeated Linda, 'the Hero? From Brightwall? You know her from before?'

Elliot nodded. 'She's not from Brightwall either. She was born in Bowerstone.'

'I knew it,' said Linda triumphantly, forgetting for a moment the conversation they were having, 'I told her I thought her accent was closer to yours than to someone from Brightwall.' Then she remembered the conversation that had started of the topic. 'What are you trying to say, Elliot?'

'That, well,' he turned to look at Linda, the next few words were struggling to form a coherent sentence. 'I love her.'

Linda nodded her head. 'More than you love me?'

Elliot nodded. 'Sorry,' he said.

Silence passed before Linda started laughing. 'Well, I can say I'm surprised, somehow I always knew, I've never had you completely.' Linda laughed some more as Elliot frowned. 'You'd get that sort of faraway look and I knew it wasn't me on your mind.' Linda smiled softly. 'Do you think she knew that it was you that Ferret took?'

'No,' he replied, shaking his head, 'the look on her face, I haven't seen her look that shocked since, well, the last time I saw her actually.' Again he turned away, waiting for the question he knew he was coming.

'What happened the last time you saw her?'

Elliot closed his eyes and rubbed his face. 'She was asked to make a choice,' he was speaking so quietly that he wasn't sure that Linda could hear him, but when Linda spoke he knew she did.

'I don't understand if she didn't choose you then, then why now?'

'She did choose me,' he explained, 'she chose for me to live.'

There was more silence as Linda processed what she was being told. Trying to connect the dots between what she already knew with what she was being told. 'She's,' Linda started surprised at her own conclusion, 'Elliot, is she the Princess?'

'Yes,' he replied, his voice no more than a whisper.

'Then you,' Linda said slowly. She knew the story; everyone knew that awful story of what happened between the Princess and King on the day of protest, of the choice he forced her to make, of her decision. 'Why did you never say?'

Elliot looked down at his feet. 'It was the worse day of my entire existence and I just wanted to forget about it Linda,' he told her, his voice a little harsher than he intended. 'To feel like those people died because of me – they had families and they were making a stand for what was right – and I was alive and glad of it.' For a moment, he deflated. 'The following morning, I woke up and for the briefest of moments I hated Alexandria for what she had done before realising that no one could hate her more than she probably hated herself. But she was gone; she had vanished into the night with Sir Walter, Jasper and Hiro.' Elliot looked over at Linda, she seemed softer than he had ever really known her but there was sadness and resignation in her eyes. 'I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you.'

_A/N: Down here today. I'm actually planning on expanding Linda's character by rather a lot in later parts of the story, and she will reappear in this 'part' as well. I really like the idea of her buzzing around doing her bit for Bowerstone and so she shall reappear! But as a friend or a hindrance, who can say?_


	6. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 5

I: For the Love of a Princess. V: Making A Name.

Alexandria had spent the night tossing and turning in her bed at the Sanctuary. She hadn't intended to stay but once she had finished her bath and agonised over whether she was going the right thing by Elliot it was late and she was too tired to make to attempt the magic that would allow her to return to Bowerstone. She had ended up pouring her heart out to Jasper who had been surprisingly knowledgeable on the subject of love.

To her surprise, she discovered that Jasper had once had a wife but that she had been killed in the Civil War along with his only child but the information that came as the biggest surprised was that not only did her father support the idea of her one day marrying Elliot, but that Elliot had, on more than one occasion, asked Logan's permission to marry her.

This knowledge cemented her decision.

Once she had woken up she set Jasper to his task and he left for Brightwall via her map, being more versed than she was on how to use it. Her last instructions to him being that he decorate her home in Brightwall in a homely but modest manner. He had bowed stating that she would be 'amazed and awed' upon her arrival. Before leaving for Bowerstone, she left a note on her ledger informing Jasper that he was getting a pay rise.

It was just as the Town Crier announced shops were opening when Walter found her eating breakfast in _The Cock_.

'What happened to you last night?' he enquired as he sat in the chair opposite her. 'All went well I take it?'

Alexandria nodded as she swallowed the egg she had put in her mouth as Walter appeared.

'Just want I like to hear,' he said just as she was opening her mouth to speak, 'the townsfolk will be talking about it in no time.'

The Princess grimaced slightly. 'That much will most certainly be true,' she remarked wondering how long it would take the gossip mill to get up and running about the previous night. 'Walter,' she started, but once again the old soldier cut across her.

'I'll have a listen about for you, see who needs help, in the meanwhile you should get out among the people, get talking to them, we need them to like you as well as trust you,' he informed her and with that he was gone.

She swore under her breath, but it was more than likely that she and Walter would speak again before the day was out.

It was around midday when she heard the first whispers of 'that girl from Brightwall' helping Linda rescue her fiancé, although no one was convinced she was Hero. Alexandria had been in the Blacksmith when she heard someone accuse her of cashing in on the idea of being Hero because there were none left, stating that the old Hero King would give this new pretender a run for her money.

It was only minutes later that she heard the rest of the tale in the stylist's shop. She had been looking for some new ideas for her hair when she heard the conversation between the shop owner and his customer.

'Ditched her,' said the woman, as the stylist ran his brush though her hair. 'Said he'd always been in love with someone else.'

The stylist spoke with a tone of faux concern. 'Well, she did set her sights a bit high; I remember when his family were in favour with the old King. He was a friend of the Princess before she ran off.'

'I had heard that,' replied the customer, 'but Victoria won't talk about it, will she? Especially now Amelia is married to that fella who works for Reaver. Poor woman, she lives in fear these days, shadow of her former self.'

Alexandria bit down on her lip as she continued to browse the goods on offer.

'She just worries, I hear,' replied the stylist, 'and she has every right be since it was Ferret that kidnapped him. Young Elliot could have easily ended up coming out of that den of theirs in a wooden box.'

She couldn't bear to hear any more and fled the shop, striding out into the bright sunlight of Square.

For the second time, as she predicted, Walter found her. This time she was sat on the steps of the clock tower looking up towards the Castle as the sun set behind the crumbling tower that her father had closed off. She had later learnt when she discovered her true heritage that her father had closed it as that was where his sister had been murdered.

Walter's large shadow engulfed Alexandria and the young woman looked up at him, her hand to her eyes shielding them from the glare of the sun. 'It seems the whole city is talking about you,' he remarked looking down at her.

'I've heard,' she replied. By the end of the afternoon she hadn't been able to escape the gossip and found herself glad that the people couldn't put a face to the person they were speaking about.

'It could be troublesome,' Walter told her, sitting down beside her. 'I wasn't expecting you to get quite so much attention so quickly and for all the wrong reasons at that.'

Alexandria shook her head and tutted. 'Takes two to make such a decision. Elliot could have walked away.'

Walter laughed a deep chortle. 'I doubt he could have, that boy has always worshipped the ground you walk on.' Then he looked over at his young protégé. 'I take it wedding bells will be in the air.'

Alexandria nodded but didn't answer otherwise.

'About bloody time,' Walter said, 'you should have married him years ago.'

'I probably would have done if we hadn't left him behind,' she remarked. Since their reunion she had regretted not putting her foot down with Walter, since last night she felt stronger knowing that she was loved and it was a wonderful feeling. 'I'll be heading back to Brightwall with him,' she informed her mentor, 'seems the right thing now that everyone is talking about it. I don't want to attract Logan's attention just yet.' She glanced back up to the place that had been her home for years and for a moment she felt as if Logan could see her and watch her movements. She got up and headed into the Inn leaving Walter sat by the clock.

Alexandria managed to escape the gossip on the second day by escaping down to Millfields. She had loved Bower Lake as a child and had dreamed about getting married in the gazebo in the middle of the lake. That dream was shattered when she was attacked by bandits in the area outside the Monorail Station.

She always felt an immense sense of guilt as her sword cut into them or a bullet passed through their heads. Despite what they had become, they were still just people and someone out there someone cared for them. Even to this day she was surprised at how upset the men at Saker's camp had been to discover their friend seemed to be dead and even more surprised that one of the men was able to tell her the colour of the crooks eyes.

Alexandria wasn't a killer by nature, but it was her destiny to be a Hero and being a Hero sometimes meant that heads needed to roll but she avoided it where she could.

After what seemed like an age it was just her and two other's bandits. In one hand she held her sword with the other she brandished her gun. The two men were backing off now, their eyes daring in fear between the bodies of their comrades and the Hero. As she opened her mouth to give them some remark they both turned tailed.

As she sheathed her sword Alexandria heard clapping. 'Bravo,' shouted a voice, 'to think they had the guards running scared. Those ruffians have been bothering us for months.'

Alexandria looked up to see a man in a powdered wig and dressed like a peacock. The nobility of Albion really had a horrific taste in clothes. 'Well, they shouldn't be bothering you again,' she told him, slipping her gun into its holster. 'I'm sorry, I don't have time to linger.' She made to step around him to reach the lake.

'Wait,' he called when she was a few feet away. 'What's your name? I want everyone to know you stopped the bandits.'

'Allie,' she replied turning around.

The noble man threw is arms wide in mock dismay. 'Is there no second name to go with that, or somewhere you're from?' he enquired. 'We can't have just anyone taking advantage of your flawless victory.'

Oh, Alexandria thought to herself, there was a second name to go with it. But it was a name that would draw far too much attention to herself. 'Brightwall,' she told the man, 'I'm from Brightwall.'

'Well, Allie of Brightwall, everyone here will know you saved us from this unfortunate inconvenience.'

'It was my pleasure,' she replied, remembering she needed the support of everyone. Of course, there was no pleasure for her when she thought about the dead men but a group of people now lived a little bit safer. For now.


	7. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 6

I: For the Love of a Princess. VI: Unexpected Friends.

The sun was just setting when Alexandria returned to the Market Place and the first thing she noticed was the unnatural quietness. Just last night, at the same hour, the whole city had been buzzing with activity as the towns folk rushed home after the stalls and shops closed. However, it only took her a few moments to see the crowd gathering by the Inn. She started walking towards the group when she was grabbed from behind and pulled into the shadows between two houses.

She was about to fight back when Walter whispered in her ear. 'Some scoundrel recognised me in the Inn last night and decided Logan's men wanted to hear about it.'

Alexandria pulled herself free of Walter and spun around to face him. 'You're joking?' she remarked and when Walter shook his head, she turned to watch the commotion across the bridge. 'Damn it.'

'They'll be looking for you as well,' he told her, 'its common knowledge that I took you from the castle. You have to leave tonight.'

The Princess looked back around at Walter. 'I can't, not tonight,' she told him, shaking her head furiously. 'I promised, Walter, I can't leave without Elliot again.'

'You are more important, Alexandria, if Logan gets his hands on you, it's over. Everything is over,' Walter told her firmly.

Alexandria shook her head again. 'I am not leaving without him,' she said slowly with a dangerous note that indicated she was not going to argue about this.

Sir Walter Beck drew himself up to his full height and he towered over the Princess. 'You have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, you have to leave tonight or all will be lost.'

There was a time when Alexandria might have been intimidated by Walter, but those days had long since passed, she might not have been taller than or as big as him but they both knew she was stronger. Instead she turned her glare into steely ice. 'Not without Elliot,' she told him firmly with a tone that brooked no argument.

Then her ice turned to a plea. 'Walter this is the only thing I have asked for myself since we started this crusade and I happily give myself to making this world a better place, but I need Elliot by my side and if I leave without him again then I will lose him forever.'

At her plea, Walter seemed to shrink and looked at the commotion still occurring over the bridge. 'We can probably lie low with Page for a couple of days, but it will only be for a couple of days.'

'Tomorrow, just until tomorrow,' Alexandria promised him.

The Orphanage was operating under a cloud of gloominess. Linda had retreated to her small office and shut herself from the world since Elliot had announced he was leaving her. He had left earlier that day, telling her that he needed to see his mother before he left. He had been vague on the details but Linda didn't want to hear them anyway.

She was nursing her pain when the door was pounded on. Not in the mood for visitors she yelled for the person to go away, but a voice replied, a panicked voice. Logan's men were here and they wanted to speak to her. Linda swore under her breath and pulled open to the door to come face to face with Mercy, the woman who looked after the children.

'Stay with the children,' she told the terrified woman. As Mercy ran away, Linda put on her battle face and headed for the stairs.

By the door stood a tall man, his face hidden by a helmet and armed with two swords and a gun. Linda grimaced, wondering what sort of resistance such a large man was expecting to receive from the homeless who were weak from lack of food and children she did not know, but Logan's men lacked subtlety. They liked to show the world they were the ones in charge.

'How can I help you?' she asked from the top of the stairs.

'I'm here to question you on the manner of your fiancé's rescue,' he told her coldly, 'and it's connection to recent intelligence that Sir Walter Beck has been sighted in Bowerstone.'

Linda felt ice trickle over her. 'What would you like to know?' she asked steadily.

'What do you know about the woman who helped you?'

Linda shrugged. 'Not local,' she told him, 'from the mountains, I'd say.'

'Why do you say that?'

'Her accent,' Linda informed the guard, 'I get a lot of people in here who are from Brightwall and the like, think they can make a better life for themselves here. She sounded like one of those.'

'Did she say anything about herself? Or mention Sir Walter Beck?'

'No, she was a bit vague if I'm honest said she'd help then charged me nearly as much as a King's ransom,' Linda lied smoothly. In truth, she had offered to pay the Princess but she had declined any payment, whilst taking the greatest thing from her at the same time. 'She was probably a travelling mercenary.'

'It's certainly not unusual to hear of female mercenaries these days,' remarked the guard.

No thanks to you lot, Linda though viciously. 'Sadly so,' she agreed, keeping her façade in place. 'Is there anything else you'd like to know?'

The guard contemplated her for a moment. 'No, that will be all,' he informed her before turning his back on her and leaving with a bang.

A few moments later she exhaled as her staff became visible again. They were looking at her with awe. 'Back to work with you,' she chided but she smiled at the staff before retreating back to her office and closing the door on the whole world again.

Alexandria woke unsure of the time. She normally woke just as the sun was rising but sleeping in the sewers disorientated her. Page had given her and Walter beds for the night after the old soldier had relayed his story to her. The young woman had spat with disgusted as such deceitful actions but had admitted she wasn't surprised taking the opportunity to attempt to goad the young Princess. Page was already clued up on what had happened at the Orphanage, however Alexandria didn't rise to it and gracefully thanked Page for the bed.

Later that evening, as she had laid on the bed she had other heard Walter telling the resistance leader not to be so harsh on her.

Judging by the dim light now she was awake, Alexandria judged that it must be early and she sat up to look around and stretch out her aching muscles. The pallet bed was not the most uncomfortable thing she had slept on but it was possibly the lumpiest thing she had spent a night on. She pulled on the trousers she wore under her tunic, which was crumpled from sleeping, and headed towards the mess.

A few men sat there, mopping up a thin soup with thick almost stale bread. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as she walked in. They all knew who she was and she hadn't been deaf to the protests of her staying. Still she smiled at the silent, distrustful men before heading to the counter.

Neither was she blind to their stares as she sat down with the bowl of soup and stale bread. The room remained silent and watchful as she consumed her breakfast. Once done, she stood up, replaced her bowl on the counter thanking the rebel that had served her and enquired after the time.

The mess server told her it would be nearing dawn as the first men were up to relieve the night watch. Thanking him and with a smile to the distrustful guard, Alexandria swept from the mess back to the space she had occupied that evening.

Back at the bed, she sat down and picked up her sword. It glistened in the dim light, at some point in her travels all her weapons had changed, taking on strange and different appearances. Jasper had told her it was to do with the magic her father had woven not only into the Sanctuary he had built but also the weapons he had left for her. She shethed the weapon at her side and then picked up her rifle. It too was unrecognisable, but it was a thing of beauty, Jasper had told her that each weapon would change not only based on who and what she killed but also responded to her nature.

Next was her pistol which she holster at her side, hidden from view. It was her secret weapon and it had gotten her out of a few tight spots before. Finally done, she whistled for her beloved Hiro, who bounded up to her from a dark corner of the room. She scratched her faithful companion behind the ears before she called him to heel and the pair of them headed for the exit.

It was on her way out that she bumped into Page. There was a slight softness to her as the Princess approached. 'Thank you again,' Alexandria said, holding out a hand to the resistance leader. 'Would you let Walter know I've gone, but he'll know where to find me.'

'Where will you go?' she asked, there was a note of concerned in Page's voice that Alexandria was surprised to hear.

'Back to Brightwall, lay low and think of the best way to make my mark here,' she replied, 'it certainly won't be easy, the people of Bowerstone won't take to me easily, Logan has done so much damage.' She smiled sadly at Page. 'We'll met again soon, I'm sure you'll hear of it when I return to the city.'

'I'm sure I will,' replied Page with a farewell nod.

Alexandria returned the nod and headed towards the exit. When she was certain no one was watching, she pulled out her guild seal and visualised the room she wanted. A flash of blue and the swirl of wind took her to the place she required but it felt empty without Jasper's greeting. Still, he was of better use to her in Brightwall at this time.

Hiro slunk over to his basket while the Princess made her way to the wardrobe. Once there, she threw off her filthy tunic and pulled on the travelling gear Jasper had washed and mended on her last trip to the Sanctuary.

She studied herself in the mirror as she did up the under bust corset. Alexandria noted she looked tired and just a little bit too thin in the face. Not enough to look unwell, but enough to tell her that she needed to relax and regain some of her strength. Of course, she had planned to remain with Elliot for a couple of weeks before heading back out on her travels. Although Logan wasn't going anywhere, his tyrannical rule was getting worse and she knew she had to act soon.

When she was done doing up the corset, she started work on her hair. She twisted and tugged it into a bun but let the front of her hair fall to frame her face. It took away the illusion that she was tired and thin. Alexandria fussed at the hair around her face, twisting it though her fingers to make it sit right before taking a deep breath. She hated to admit it, but she was nervous.

Deciding it was best to stop looking in the mirror, she walked out of the wardrobe and into her library. Before he had left for Brightwall, Jasper had recommended a few volumes from her father's journals to read. Jasper had found the store of information in the days following their escape and had been making progress though reading them himself and cherry picking the best information to relay back to her but Jasper had unearthed some information she would find highly useful if she was going to succeed in Bowerstone.

Alexandria packed them into her bag and picked up a few other items that she intended to deliver to the Academy. She had come across a few of Samuel's sort after books of late. Next she picked up some of her potions before heading back to the wardrobe. It was time to put her parent's wedding rings to good use.

_Down here today. Well, I hope this is all okay, just like to say thanks to everyone who is reading and I hope you are enjoying the story. Please note any mistakes are my own as I am betaing this myself so I may miss bits from time to time possibly quite a lot of the time._


	8. I: For the Love of a Princess, Chapter 7

_So, this is the final chapter of 'For the Love of a Princess', the second 'Of Kings and Queens' is being written as we speak. So I hope you will stick with me for that._

**I: For the Love of a Princess. VII: A Pressing Engagement.**

The streets of Bowerstone were awash with new rumours and Elliot feared the worse. It had been his _delightful _sister who had come running into their mother's home positively bouncing with excitement with the news that Logan's Elite Army were terrorising the Inn after word had reached them that Sir Walter Beck had been seen their the previous night.

Of course, in the whirlwind the Elliot had been experiencing, he had forgotten about the old soldier. However, it was not ridiculous to think that he wouldn't be far behind the young Princess, or indeed, she far behind him.

When Amelia had set her sights on her older brother, a silky taunt issued from her lips about his beloved Princess. Before he had a chance to reply, their mother stepped in advising Amelia to return home to her husband for fear of being arrested by Logan's men. Shortly after Amelia swept from the haughtily from the house, his mother had asked him the reason for his visit. He explained with as little detail as possible that he needed a room for the night and that he was then going away for a while but that he would write and she shouldn't worry.

Of course, she would worry and protested fiercely against his leaving. He worried for her. Without him there, Amelia would act unchecked and her intentions were no longer loyal to her mother and brother.

It was early when Elliot arrived at the meeting place he and Alexandria had agreed on. At first, he had protested at the location, the Market Square was always heaving but she had pointed out that the more eyes there were the less likely it would be that they would actually be seen.

He wondered how well that theory would hold up now guards and Logan's men now patrol the area like a swarm of wasps. He sat down as a lute player started up a melody to cheer up the passing crowds who were moving around with an air of fear.

Elliot wasn't sat there long when he looked down the long bridge that made up the road to Millfields and there she was. In the bright sunlight Princess Alexandria of Albion was a heavenly creature, her hair framing those misty blue eyes that he could easily lose himself in. She was more beautiful than ever, with a bit of extra height and a lithe frame.

Their eyes met and she smiled. Elliot smiled back as he pushed himself to his feet. They walked to each other and met near the middle of the bridge. Without a word he took her into his arms and kissed her. She responded instantly and for just a moment they fought for dominance before Alexandria surrendered to him. It was like having honey on his lips and his heart beat a little faster to hear her gentle moan of contentment as their lips moved together.

'We can't stay here,' she whispered against Elliot's lips between kisses.

'I know,' he replied glancing at the soldiers milling around the town. 'I heard what happened last night.'

Alexandria took his hand. 'Come on,' she whispered before pressing her lips to his one more time. She turned and tugged at his arm. 'I'll explain in just a moment.'

Their hands slipped together, fitting perfectly together as Alexandria lead the way down some stairs beside the bridge. Half way down and out of view, Elliot stopped. 'Alexandria, my love,' he said, stepping down so they were on the same step. From his pocket he produced a ring with a bright diamond. 'Marry me?'

Alexandria looked at the diamond ring for just a second. It was beautiful and intricately designed. 'I had a similar request for you,' she said, sliding a hand into her pocket and producing two wedding bands, 'and Jasper has been making the arrangements in Brightwall for us.' There was the sound of metal hitting stone overhead. Alexandria looked up to the bridge. 'We need to leave now, Elliot, come on.'

She led him to a dark alcove under the bridge. It was completely hidden from view. 'It's a yes, by the way,' she said smiling.

Elliot beamed back at her and slid the ring on to her hand before looking at the alcove she had dragged them into. 'Secret tunnel?' he enquired. Elliot had learnt in her absence that beneath Bowerstone was a maze of entrances and exits to the city. It was probably the means of escape two years ago.

Alexandria shook her head. 'No, but this,' she said, pulling her Guild Seal from another of her many pockets, 'will allow us to teleport away from the city.'

'Teleport?' questioned Elliot, looking at the Princess dubiously.

She shrugged. 'Yes,' she replied. 'It was left to me by my father and it works,' she told him frankly. 'I'll explain everything I can once we're away from here,' she took his hands in hers, 'please,' she pleaded softly, 'just trust me?'

Elliot nodded. 'What do you want me to do?'

'Well, this is prefect,' she told him, still holding his hands and the Guild Seal. She whistled for Hiro before she closed her eyes. 'Just empty your mind, Elliot, it might feel a little strange.'

Seconds later Alexandria felt the dizzying rush of wind to signal she had completed the teleport and she breathed in a gulp of fresh, cool mountain air. She opened her eyes and laughed at the sight before her. Elliot had scrunched his eyes shut and was looking concerned. 'It's okay,' she laughed, 'it worked.'

She watched as Elliot opened his eyes slowly before looking around in amazement. He let go of her hands and spun around taking in the mountains, trees, the river and down in a valley, a small town.

'We're in Mistpeak,' she said, 'and that is Brightwall.' She pointed at the town.

'This,' he said slowly, 'is where you've been all this time?'

Alexandria nodded. 'There are some people who live higher in the mountains, they hate Logan, I had to convince them to join with me, and it brought me here, to Brightwall.' She too was looking around. She had only been gone a week, but she had missed this little piece of Albion she now called home. Alexandria looked over Elliot. 'You're looking a little green, are you sure you're okay?'

'What?' he asked before remembering their less than usual means of transport. 'Yes,' he told her, 'what is that thing anyway?'

She turned the gold and blue artefact over in her hand. 'It was my father's, his Guild Seal. Jasper says it's the mark of a Hero,' she told him. 'My father knew what I would be one day and left it to me. He also left me remarkably well prepared for this way of life.' She smiled sadly thinking of her father. She often wished he was still alive so she could call on his guidance instead of relying on the journals he left. 'Come on, we shouldn't dally up here,' she told Elliot, 'the valley is plagued with wolves and the occasional bandit.'

Elliot watched Alexandria as she set off down the hill towards the town. 'If your father knew what you would be,' he said as he set off after her, 'why didn't he see what Logan would become?'

Alexandria shrugged. 'I don't know, maybe it's some Hero to Hero foresight. Logan isn't a Hero, maybe our father was blind to his future.' She fell silent thinking of her father. 'I wonder what he would have done if he had known,' she mused half to herself, half to Elliot.

There was no answer. The old King had been a strange and mysterious man who had often kept his counsel to himself if it did not relate to the running of the Kingdom.

'No point speculating.' Elliot's voice cut across her thoughts. 'Besides, Logan wasn't always so, I don't know what the word is, but I remember when he first came to the throne. If someone had told me then what he would become, I wouldn't have believed it.'

'No,' Alexandria agreed. 'I will stop him though,' she promised, 'he has to be stopped. My father didn't unite Albion for it to be ruined this way.'

The following day dawn rose of the sleepy village of Brightwall. The little village had been plunged into impromptu celebration not just because their Hero had returned so soon but because her arrive was swiftly followed by a wedding.

Alexandria felt like a contented cat lying in bed beside her husband, a warm happiness spread though her body as she recalled the night after they had retired from the party. Every touch was as she remembered it the only difference was the day. She didn't have to shoo him from her bed and she wasn't about to get up as she normally would this hour.

Instead, Alexandria let her fingers trail over the soft hair over Elliot's chest whist watching the glint of her ring as it hit the sun light that filtered into the room.

However, hidden behind her happiness was just a moment of regret. She wants to stay here forever. To just be Alexandria, not a Princess or a Hero; she wants to be normal, like the people around her are. But she knows she and Elliot will never be a normal couple, watching their child grow and play in the streets with the neighbours. They know that soon, they will have to step up and rule Albion.

It isn't something they have spoken about but they both know it's there, the day that looms in front of her. She is the light at the end of the dark tunnel for the people of Albion.

But just for the moment, Alexandria casts all those thoughts away and lets her strength leave her body. Beside her, Elliot stirs a little in his sleep. She's missed lying in his arms. Her wandering fingers move from his chest to his arm and she caresses the soft skin.

A week ago she wouldn't have believed he could be here with her and already the hard days without him have started to vanish into hazy confusion.


	9. II: Of Kings and Queens, Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello, welcome to the second Trial. This follows our new King and Queen of Albion up to the Crawller. I have decided that I shall also do another couple of 'parts' set after the main events of the game. _

**II: Of Kings and Queens. I: A New Reign.**

Being in the old Orphanage brought back memories, and not memories Elliot particularly wanted to have resurface but it was the only place that could be easily turned into an infirmary at such short notice and without detection.

Being in such close quarters to Linda was difficult; she was just over the room tending to one of the soldiers. She had been graceful in allowing the resistance turn the place into a temporary hospital and even more graceful about allowing Elliot to help out. There wasn't much else he could do on such a night.

He had never been much of a fighter. Sir Walter had taught him the basics but he never showed any great aptitude for swordplay, or shooting for that matter. Alexandria hadn't wanted him in the fighting anyway, and he wasn't about to argue with a woman who could fillet a man in three strokes.

Besides, he had a greater part to play. Alexandria had told him that she couldn't rule without him. It had been as they had lay in bed together before she had left for Aurora that she had admitted her fears about ruling alone. She feared what she might become; she feared she would become what Logan had become. 'Are we so different really?' she had asked him, 'We are of the same blood. Who is to say that I will not turn out like him?'

Elliot didn't believe for one moment that Alexandria would ever turn out like her brother. Even now she held so much more power than Logan ever could. Power she could have used for great evil instead of the good she had spread. He had told her as much but had still agreed to be more than her Consort. They would rule together, as King and Queen of Albion, both with equal power.

He didn't really want it, but he had always known that marrying Alexandria would equal some greater responsibility to the Kingdom and he loved her too much to turn his back on it. He had known the day he had finally been able to ask for her hand in marriage that it would lead to this day and this moment.

Absently, he wondered if he was a King yet, if his beautiful Princess had toppled the tyrant. Judging by the commotion outside, the answer remained no.

Elliot's musings were disrupted by the doors being banged open. Page hauled a heavy set man over her arm. He walked over to help the leader of Bowerstone's resistance. 'What happened?' he asked.

'Bloody Sabine,' responded Page tightly as the manoeuvred the fighter onto one of the make shift beds. 'The man is insane, Elliot, he'll kill us and them if he isn't careful.'

Elliot frowned. 'Is there any word?'

'Not yet, and I don't expect there to be for a while yet,' she told him. 'Logan is far better prepared than I thought.' Then she looked at him. 'Is everything okay here?'

'Fine,' he said, taking a look at the head injuries on the man she had brought in. 'It's just frustrating not knowing.'

'You'll be King soon enough,' she said quietly.

Elliot shot her a look. 'I don't care about that,' he told her firmly. 'I care about my wife, out there fighting.' He shook his head. 'And is that what you really think of me?' he asked quietly.

Page glanced up at the woman working across the room and Elliot followed her gaze. They were both looking at Linda's back. He was just about to open his mouth to speak when there was a whistle overhead followed by an explosion that shattered some of the windows.

'Get those people away from the windows,' Elliot ordered before turning back to Page. 'You need to find Sabine, you're right; he's going to kill both us and them.' Page hesitated for a moment. 'Go, they need as many people as they can get out there.'

Page turned and fled the room. For a moment Elliot watched her leave before turning his attention back to the injured man. Since marrying Alexandria he had become accustom to a whole catalogue of wounds, the worse of which resulted into three large scars across her back from her encounter in Reaver's mansion with balverines. She had been lucky to survive the encounter with just a couple of scars.

This bloke, however, was in worse shape than he had ever seen his wife. His face was beaten so he was unrecognisable and Elliot doubted he would make it through the night. Still today was the start of something new, and maybe, just maybe a life could be saved to see the new dawn.

'You were never anything more than just an old tyrant,' Alexandria said dangerously as Walter took a hold of Logan. 'There is no excuse you could possibly give for this.'

Logan looked over his sister as the old knight dragged him towards the door. She was unrecognisable from the laughing girl he remembered. She was taller, fiercer and more beautiful than he could ever remember her being.

'Walter,' she said quietly, 'confine him to his quarters. I want guards on every exit.'

Walter nodded and seconds later the door to the War Room slammed shut. Alexandria placed her hands on the map of Albion to steady herself. She was sure her legs would give out as the adrenalin seeped out of her body.

She was Queen now. Beside her, Elliot would be King. Albion would have two minds to guide it again, just as it had done in her father's time. She pushed back of the table and headed to the doors. She peered out but the corridor was deserted. Logan's men had left the Castle to battle her forces and now she needed to bring it to an end.

The Dwellers had brought something with them, an item commissioned in Brightwall; her standard. White and silver, with the emblem of the guild seal, a crown and wings. She pulled the folded material from the travelling bag she always kept with her before making her way to the flag pole on the roof of the castle.

In a symbolic gesture, she took out her gun and took aim. With unerring accuracy, she shot down Logan's standard. It fluttered to the ground aimlessly and she hoisted her own emblem above the Castle and above Bowerstone. It caught the wind and streamed out, a bright beacon in the night. It shouted to the city that Albion had a new ruler.

Alexandria stepped away from the flag pole and headed back to the stairs, only pausing to gather up Logan's standard. Albion didn't need it anymore. As she gathered it a thought struck her.

Could she and Elliot really vanquish the shadows that lay over Albion because of Logan's tyranny?

When she reached inside the castle again, it was still silent. Her memory tells her that the castle should be full of people; prim courtiers seeking Logan's favour and servants wishing to be hidden from view.

There was nothing, not even light. Alexandria frowned and walked over to the unlit lamps. With a flick of her hand, she produced a ball of light and lit the oil burner that was mounted to the wall. As she walked back though her childhood home she repeated the same ritual at every lamp she found.

As she reached the entrance to the castle she finally heard movement and Walter issuing orders. She stopped and poised herself. She was Queen now; she had to have some dignity about herself. With a deep breath she walked into the view of her soldiers.

As one they all stopped and bowed to her. 'Your Majesty,' rang out from the troupe.

It had not been two hours ago that she had been addressing these men as a rebel and now she was Queen. She nodded to them before heading down the stairs to Walter. 'Where is Elliot?' she enquired quietly.

Her husband was no fighter and she had begun to worry for him. 'He's fine, Ben has just gone to fetch him,' Walter told her quietly.

She nodded. 'I'll be,' she looked around, everywhere seemed so alien to her, 'I'll be in my rooms,' she told Walter, 'my old rooms,' she clarified as she pointed towards the back of the Castle. She started to set off before she turned to face Walter again. 'I should like Jasper to be here to.'

'Then it shall be done, but I will say, I think you will have an easier time retrieving him then I,' replied Walter.

'Right, yes,' said Alexandria, remembering her Guild Seal. She had almost forgotten the magical Sanctuary her father had built for her. She spun around and headed off down one of the corridors that would take her out into the gardens and around to the stairs to her quarters.

It was a heady experience for Elliot to be bowed to and called 'Your Majesty'. He hadn't fully decided how he would deal with it, for the now he thanked the men who had stood behind Alexandria before heading off to find her.

He bumped into Walter seconds later who told him he would be able to find her in her old rooms. Upon learning her location, he jogged off in the direction of the gardens. It had been nearly three years since he had been here last; a bright sunny day that had hidden a dark future, now it was the dark night with a bright future.

His feet fell into place as he walked the familiar path up to Alexandria's rooms. Already there were guards in place, just as they would have been three years ago, only now they called him 'Majesty' instead of 'Master Elliot.' He preferred the latter.

At the doors, he contemplated knocking before remembering himself and instead pulled the doors open. His first thought was one of surprise. The room hadn't changed a bit, the bed was where it always had been, and the screen for dressing even the vases had fresh flowers.

Stood in the middle of the room was Alexandria. She turned to look at him and her face was just a mixture of everything anyone could possibly feel. There were no words and he didn't want to hear anything. Instead, Elliot crossed the room in three strides and pulled his wife into his arms.

Alexandria leant into his comforting embrace and for what seemed like forever they just stood there. She buried her head in his shoulder and she wept. It was then that he guided her over to the bed and together they sat and still he held her in silence.

_A/N II: Of Kings and Queens is call thus because it will be focusing on the new Monarch's of Albion, and the former King. In this, I've decided to expand Elliot and Logan's role in a way that the game couldn't, I hope you enjoy and don't mind me changing little bits to make a story flow._


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